An example software-based, on-line postage system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/163,993 filed on Sep. 29, 1998, titled “On Line Postage System”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. As therein disclosed, an exemplary on-line postage system software comprises user code, or client software, that resides on each client system accessing an on-line postage enabled server system; controller code resides on the on-line postage enabled server system. An exemplary on-line postage system may comprise a user/client system electronically connected to a server system, which in turn is connected to a USPS system. The server system is preferably capable of communicating with one or more client systems simultaneously.
An on-line postage system may be used to print Value Bearing Items (“VBI”) in the form of postage indicia. VBI are not limited to postage and can as well include, among other things, coupons, tickets, gift certificates, currency, money orders, vouchers and the like. An on-line postage system is sometimes referred to as a Computer Postage System, or a PC Postage System. The terms Computer Postage and PC Postage are used equivalently herein.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides the Information Based Indicia Program (IBIP.) The IBIP facilitates PC-based (Personal Computer based) Postage, also sometimes referred to as computer-based, or Internet-based, Postage. With PC Postage, a user can purchase postage credit, and print the postage in the form of PC Postage onto a label or directly onto a mail piece. A PC Postage label provides a human-readable portion and a two-dimensional barcode portion. The human-readable portion includes the postage value, mail class, the date, and optionally a logo. The barcode portion is intended to help thwart fraud, and includes information about the mail piece including the destination ZIP code, the amount of postage applied, the date and time the postage was applied, and a digital signature so that the USPS can validate the authenticity of the postage.
In order to print VBI indicia, such as postage stamps, using an exemplary software-based on-line VBI indicia system, a user first registers (a one-time event) with the system; in the case of postage, the user obtains a license from the USPS to print postage. In operation, a licensed and registered client of the on-line postage system sends a request for authorization to print a desired amount of postage. A postal security device (PSD) server determines whether the client's account balance is sufficient to cover the requested amount of postage, and if so, communicates an authorization to the client system. The client system then sends image information for printing a postage indicium for the granted amount to a printer so that the postage indicium is printed on the print media such as, for example, a label. Once the postage information is printed on an individual label it may be subsequently placed on an individual mail piece with a recipient of the user's choosing and mailed and processed by the USPS.
In one exemplary embodiment of PC Postage, a user subscribes to a third party Internet postage provider, such as, for example, Stamps.com Inc. (of Los Angeles, Calif.), and by using postage software made available by the Internet postage provider, postage value can be downloaded to the user's computer. The user can then print the postage indicia, by an ordinary laser or ink jet printer, directly onto the mail piece itself (e.g., onto business envelopes), onto a label to be applied to the mail piece, or alternately on an insert that can be placed into a window envelope so that it will show through a window envelope. Such postage software preferably works in conjunction with other software programs, such as word processing, accounting, database, and contact management software to allow a user to conveniently print PC Postage at the same time that addressee and barcode information is printed, and, in some cases of envelope printing, at the same time as the sender's return address is printed.
An example of a computer-based postage system is the software-based, online postage system described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/163,993 filed on Sep. 29, 1998, by Mohan Ananda, entitled “On Line Postage System”, the contents of which were previously incorporated by reference as if set forth herein in full. The online postage system software may comprise user code, also sometimes referred to as client software, that resides on a client system, and controller code, also sometimes referred to as server software, that resides on a server system. An exemplary on-line postage system may comprise a user system electronically connected to a server system, which in turn is connected to a USPS system. The server system is preferably capable of communicating with one or more client systems simultaneously.
Because postage indicium bearing labels have value, various controls are used to guard against fraud. For example, in the case of First Class PC Postage, if an error or other problem occurs (a “misprint”) with the printing of a postage indicium bearing PC Postage label, a rigorous procedure with various checks and balances has been used to guard against issuance of improper refunds. The reason that First Class PC Postage misprint refunds have been rigorously controlled is because individual First Class PC Postage labels have not been uniquely identifiable.
In contrast to non-unique First Class PC Postage, misprints of some other types of PC Postage, such as misprints of Express Mail, Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation PC Postage, can be reprinted. That is because Express Mail, Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation PC Postage is uniquely identifiable, at least within a specified period of time, such as one year. Because such PC Postage is uniquely identifiable, the USPS can determine whether or not the postage has been used—that is, if a particular, uniquely identifiable type of PC Postage is improperly reprinted, and if both the original “misprinted” postage as well as the reprinted postage are used, the USPS will be able to determine that the same unique PC Postage was applied to mail pieces processed by the USPS. In other words, the USPS would know if a user used the same uniquely identifiable postage twice. The reason that the USPS will know that such postage has been used twice is because the USPS scans mail pieces with uniquely identifiable Express Mail, Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation tracking numbers upon delivery.
In contrast, First Class postage has not been uniquely identifiable. Because there has not been a unique tracking number for First Class postage bearing mail pieces, such mail pieces have not been scanned upon delivery. Therefore, the USPS would not know if the user had applied both an original, but claimed misprinted First Class postage label, as well as the reprinted postage to one or more mail pieces in the postal stream. Because the USPS had no way of automatically determining whether or not First Class PC Postage was being improperly reprinted, the USPS has imposed rigorous procedures for controlling misprint claims.
Presently, if a First Class postage indicium bearing PC Postage label misprint occurs, the PC Postage user is not allowed to simply “reprint” the label. Instead, the PC Postage user must complete a form (referred to herein as a “Misprint claim”) within a certain number of days from the date of the claimed misprint, provide the physical evidence of the misprint, and submit the completed form with the physical evidence to the PC Postage service provider. Notably, unless the PC Postage user self-delivers the Misprint claim, the PC Postage user must apply appropriate postage to submit the Misprint claim to the PC Postage service provider.
When the PC Postage service provider receives a Misprint claim, the PC Postage service provider must maintain the Misprint claim in a secure area. The PC Postage service provider must examine each Misprint claim and the corresponding physical evidence. If the PC Postage service provider determines that a refund is appropriate, the PC Postage service provider must, from its own account, advance a refund to the claiming user.
At various intervals, a United States Postal Service (“USPS”) representative audits refunds made by the PC Postage service provider and determines a statistically representative amount that reflects the percentage of properly made refunds. The USPS representative calculates a refund reimbursement amount, which is usually less, and sometimes substantially less, than the amount of refunds actually advanced by the PC Postage service provider. After the USPS processes the calculated refund amount, the USPS issues a reimbursement to the PC Postage service provider.
Because of the rigorous PC Postage procedure, some users who experience misprints are reticent to go through the process of completing a Misprint claim form, and paying postage to submit the Misprint claim and the physical misprint evidence—at least unless the amount of the misprinted PC Postage indicium exceeds an amount that the particular user determines is sufficient to justify the process.
The PC Postage service provider, in order to keep its users satisfied, may err on the side of over-refunding. As a result, the USPS calculated refund reimbursement amount can be substantially less than the actual amount refunded by the PC Postage service provider. That is, the PC Postage service provider may lose money on the refund advances made to its users.
Further, in order to keep its users satisfied, the PC Postage service provider must devote the resources necessary to timely evaluate all Misprint claims. Because the process requires manual intervention, in addition to the amount of the refund advance loss suffered by the PC Postage service provider, the PC Postage service provider must pay someone, such as with salary, to examine the Misprint claims. Further, the PC Postage service provider must allocate space, and make provisions to secure the allocated space, to house the Misprint claims.
A better way is needed to process PC Postage misprints. In order to provide a better way of refunding PC Postage misprints, one way involves providing the USPS with a way to determine whether a user has used both the “original” and the “reprinted” First Class PC Postage. One way in which to do that, described below in some detail, uses elements of a postal product known as the CONFIRM® service.
CONFIRM® service is a product offered by the United States Postal Service. U.S. Postal Service Publication 197 (“Publication 197”) describes in detail various aspects of the CONFIRM® service and CONFIRM® service interfaces; Publication 197 is incorporated by reference in full herein for all purposes as if fully stated herein.
CONFIRM® is a mail tracking service of PLANET™ Codes that provides electronic tracking information to USPS customers about their First-Class, Standard letter-size, flat mail and periodicals. CONFIRM® provides advance delivery information about incoming hard-copy reply mail (“Origin CONFIRM”) and outbound mail (“Destination CONFIRM”).
In order to track mail, CONFIRM® currently uses a combination of two tracking numbers: a 5- or 11-digit POSTNET (POSTal Numeric Encoding Technique) Code and a 12- or 14-digit PLANET™ Code. Currently, the POSTNET and PLANET™ Codes must be encoded as a barcode and applied to the mail piece.
In order to facilitate mail handling and optical reading equipment processing of mail by the USPS and to properly interpret PC Postage, addressee information, and CONFIRM® tracking information, postage indicia and related labels need to be applied according to USPS guidelines. USPS guidelines directed to the margins, label sizes, and placement of Postage Indicia, and the size, placement, and other characteristics of POSTNET and PLANET™ barcodes, and any facing identification mark (FIM) on mail pieces are described in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) and Title 39, Code of Federal Register (CFR), Part 111, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in full herein for all purposes.
As each mail piece progresses through to its destination, the CONFIRM® barcode on each mail piece is scanned at the different USPS processing facilities through which it passes. Electronic information for each scan is captured and is sent to a centralized network service, which collects the scan data and packages it for use by USPS customers. The electronic scan information is then electronically transferred from the centralized network and is made available in two ways: through accessing a PLANET™ Code website or via transmission of electronic files sent to subscribing USPS customers.
CONFIRM®-barcoded mail pieces are scanned during the passage of the mail piece through various USPS processing facilities, but are not scanned (unless accompanied by Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, or similar final mail piece disposition service) upon actual delivery.
A POSTNET Code identifies a particular delivery address. A PLANET™ Code identifies a particular CONFIRM® Subscriber's mailing. If more than one mail piece in a single mailing is addressed to the same delivery address, then the CONFIRM® Service does not provide individual mail piece tracking.
The CONFIRM® service was designed to serve the high-volume mailer such as telemarketers and other businesses. High-volume mailers can benefit from tracking outbound mailings. For example, information about customer receipt of certain mailings would allow mailers to plan subsequent business activities, such as synchronizing telemarketing efforts with delivery of solicitations, or augmenting direct mail pieces with other advertising media.
The high-volume mailer basis for the CONFIRM® service is evident from the subscription fee structure charged by the U.S. Postal Service. The subscription fees, ranging from $2,000 for a three-month period, to an annual $10,000 fee, are based on the number of scans, measured in the millions.
Although large mailings are not normally the concern of individuals, individuals with low volume mailings could benefit from the ability to track processing and delivery of individual mail pieces. Low volume mailers will not be motivated to pay the high subscription fees for the U.S. Postal CONFIRM® Service. Even if they paid such fees, the CONFIRM® Service does not guarantee tracking of individual mail pieces.
Various private carriers provide individual parcel tracking, for a piece-based premium. And yet, no mail piece tracking is available for letters mailed using First Class U.S. postage.
DELIVERY CONFIRMATION is another service provided by the U.S. Postal Service. DELIVERY CONFIRMATION provides the date, time and ZIP Code of delivery or attempted delivery. DELIVERY CONFIRMATION can be purchased for PRIORITY MAIL® items, Package Services parcels, STANDARD MAIL® parcels, and FIRST-CLASS MAIL® parcels, but is not available for use with FIRST-CLASS MAIL® letters.
In order to provide the USPS with a way to determine whether a user has used both the “original” and the “reprinted” First Class PC Postage, a way is needed to uniquely identify First Class PC Postage and automatically process First Class PC Postage refund claims.